The public will be correct in their presumption that at least this part of the system didn't work.
It has gotten to the point with NASA that when they make a life-based announcement, the Bayesian-style rational response is to ignore them entirely. It isn't too big a step from here to think that this research ought to be simply shut down, so that it can get out of the funding stream and then at least there's a chance the funding will go somewhere useful.
It has gotten to the point with NASA that when they make a life-based announcement, the Bayesian-style rational response is to ignore them entirely. It isn't too big a step from here to think that this research ought to be simply shut down, so that it can get out of the funding stream and then at least there's a chance the funding will go somewhere useful.